Erdogan: Turkey lauds US withdrawal from Syria

Turkey welcomes the withdrawal of the US troops from Syria, but also perceives this step with caution, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, Trend reports via Turkish media.

The president noted that the withdrawal of the US troops from Syria has already begun.

He added that the beginning of the withdrawal process forced Turkey to postpone the start of a new military operation in Syria.

Erdogan stressed that Turkey does not pursue any other goals in Syria except for liberating the country from terrorists.

"Turkey stands for the territorial integrity of Syria: the goal of Turkey, Iran and Russia is to ensure security in the region," Erdogan said.

He added that the agreement reached between Turkey and Russia contributed to the achievement of relative stability in Syria.

On Dec. 19, US President Donald Trump declared victory over the "Islamic State" (IS) in Syria. Later, the White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said the US has begun to withdraw troops from Syria, but a victory over the IS does not mean the end of the coalition.

Reuters, citing sources, reported that all US State Department employees would be evacuated from Syria within 24 hours and the armed forces would be withdrawn within 60 to 100 days.